BRUSSELS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday called on Russia to "accept responsibility" for MH17 downing.

In a statement, the NATO chief said the Netherlands and Australia announced that they hold Russia responsible for its part in the downing of flight MH17 on July 17, 2014.

Stoltenberg said: "Yesterday's interim report of the joint investigation team on the downing of MH17 concluded that the missile launcher used to shoot down the plane originated from the 53rd Anti-aircraft Brigade of the Russian Federation, stationed in Kursk."

"Those responsible must be held accountable," he added.

The Russian Defense Ministry Friday refuted the accusation, saying that no new anti-aircraft missiles crossed the border to Ukraine since 1991.

The Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashed in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board died, including 196 Dutch citizens.